Jhpiego’s Mission

Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, builds global and local partnerships to enhance the quality of healthcare services for women and families around the world. Jhpiego is a global leader in the creation of innovative and effective approaches to developing human resources for health.

Jhpiego’s Values

At Jhpiego we value our customers who have our respect, responsiveness, and commitment to excellence; our staff and global network of colleagues who bring cultural diversity, innovation, and a wealth of world experience; and our work culture, which is reflected in our team spirit, transparent communication, mutual respect, flexibility, and dedication.

Position Overview

Family Health and Nutrition Project (FHN) is a five-year, USAID-funded project that will contribute to reduction of maternal mortality and under five mortality through collaboration with Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), Ministry of Health (MOH), communities and other local partners to improve health system performance and to deliver high-quality, accessible reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N) care.  Working in four provinces, Eastern, Luapula, Muchinga, and Southern, FHN will work with MOH provincial and district counterparts to deliver high-quality services, strengthen health systems, and increase community engagement.

Due to the cross-cutting and multi-factorial nature of nutrition and the persistent challenges to Zambia’s progress on nutrition indicators, FHN is dedicated to working closely with districts as part of a multi-partner collaboration under the GRZ’s Scaling up Nutrition (SUN), multisector approach to improve nutritional status during the first 1000 days of life and beyond. To ensure nutrition is appropriately positioned and reflected within the project, we are seeking a Nutrition Advisor.

The Nutrition Advisor will serve as the technical lead for nutrition on the project and will work closely with stakeholders at national and district level to identify priorities, learn from best practices being implemented by others, and support districts to implement, scale and sustain work to improve nutrition outcomes. The Advisor will work as part of the project’s core multi-disciplinary team and will report to the project’s Technical Director.

RESPONSBILITIES

The Nutrition Advisor will:

• Analyze nutrition strategies, policies, plans as they are implemented at the district level together with programme staff and identify areas for strengthening
• Support districts to use a strategic planning process that includes an analysis of behaviors for program actors and key community and household members to identify gaps and opportunities for nutrition interventions
• Align the work of FHN with the health sector nutrition programmes, strategies and interventions and ensure compliance and continuity with all other health sector strategic /programme documents
• Lead and / or support capacity building activities in nutrition and areas such as operations research and social and behavior change
• Represent USAID FHN in nutrition activities in the health and Scaling Up Nutrition Multisectoral platforms and support coordination and collaborative activities such as the Technical Working Groups at all levels
• Support regular reporting on nutrition interventions at all levels where FHN is mandated or represented
• Support and participate in regular monitoring and mentorship and Quality Assurance / Quality Improvement tasks in the health sector tied to service provision
• Support DHOs to initiate and implement Quality Improvement activities, stimulating innovations in routine practices that may benefit from change
• Facilitate provincial and district level peer learning and knowledge sharing events
• Identify nutrition-specific SBC communication needs within districts and support process of development, procurement and implementation of that SBC communication
• Support annual project reporting and workplanning
• Serve as a critical link between TMG HQ nutrition support and the project

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree equivalent in international public health/nutrition with a specialization in community nutrition programming or one of the following related fields: anthropology, sociology, psychology, marketing, communication
• Eight years of relevant experience in design and implementation of evidence-based nutrition programming, with a preference for corresponding experience in social and behavior change
• Experience in community nutrition programs and working with the SUN movement in Zambia is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing behavioral-based formative research
• Demonstrated experience using program information to adaptive project activities to emerging needs.
• Strong facilitation skills, including the ability to build consensus among partners and stakeholders, with demonstrated success working with local government and NGO stakeholders
• Demonstrated capacity for strategic and tactical programming and use of creative, innovative program approaches and actions.
• Ability to work in a dynamic team with colleagues of different backgrounds, to develop new ideas and perspectives in a team environment
• Ability to work independently as required and to take initiative to get activities started and to see them through.
• Demonstrated ability to articulate concepts well in writing and verbally, in English and at least one additional local language, with proven ability to communicate effectively in diverse multi-stakeholder settings.
• Willingness to travel to the field and community levels as required.
• Proficiency in MS Office and internet applications required

Must be Zambian national or have legal right to work in Zambia.